Based on stories from hundreds of homeowners, we're showing what it has been like to seek a mortgage modification through the government's program. Earlier, we detailed what 373 homeowners told us about their experiences. To put a face on those numbers, we're also profiling homeowners who represent common situations. This is the fourth of five.

Last fall, Wells Fargo told Michael and Concetta Acevedo that after a three-month trial, they could get a permanent mortgage modification that would allow them to keep their Staten Island townhouse.

Instead, 10 months later, the Acevedos are still making trial payments and fighting to save their home. The delays have dragged on even though a judge penalized Wells Fargo for errors processing their case. The Acevedos' trust in the bank -- and the modification process -- has run dry.

"I wonder if they have a little cube, and they throw it up in the air to see what decision they are going to make," said Michael Acevedo.

More than 1.3 million homeowners like the Acevedos have started trial modifications under the government's foreclosure relief program. Qualified homeowners are supposed to make trial payments for three months, but the vast majority of trials have lasted far longer, delaying both approvals and denials.

Despite pledges by banks and other mortgage servicers to reduce backlogs, 118,000 households have been in trials for at least six months. Although Treasury Department officials have said extended trials benefit people by providing temporary relief, homeowners and their advocates say long trials can hurt borrowers by increasing the amount they owe, lowering their credit scores and leaving them with less money saved in case they lose their homes.

The Acevedos say they've done everything they can to make their house payments, even wiping out their savings. Michael lost his longtime job as an exterminator in early 2009. He eventually found work, but makes less money. Concetta continues to work as a home health care aide. Their 19-year-old son works at a 7-Eleven while going to college full time.

Since April, a Richmond County court judge has presided over monthly state-mandated foreclosure settlement conferences between the Acevedos and Wells Fargo. The judge has penalized Wells Fargo for improperly denying them a final modification and not providing the written reasons for the denial as previously ordered by the court, according to Joseph Sant, their attorney from Staten Island Legal Services.

Sant said a Wells Fargo representative recently made a verbal offer to reduce the Acevedos' monthly mortgage payments by half, but they have received no written confirmation and the family remains skeptical.

"I ain't gonna believe it until I have it in my hand," Michael Acevedo said.

Wells Fargo spokesman Jason Menke said he could not comment on the Acevedos' situation because their court case is ongoing.

Prolonged trial periods can compound homeowners' problems because, as they make trial payments, the difference between the reduced and full payments builds up, creating large debts if they don't get permanent relief.

Seattle homeowner Carolyn Chaney has been making trial payments since November. Though she was current on her mortgage before asking for a modification, she now has $8,000 of accrued debt.

"We didn't know what we were getting into," says Chaney, a janitor at a university campus. "If you weren't going to help us, you didn't have to hurt us."

Bank of America spokesman Rick Simon says the bank has contacted Chaney to let her know she's been approved for a modification, and the final paperwork "should be sent in the coming days."

Typically banks add the accrued debt to the principal if the homeowner gets a modification, or demand a lump-sum payment if the modification is denied. (The Treasury Department recently said it was "concerned" (PDF) about the lump-sum payments and is considering creating a new policy to address the issue.)

One Connecticut homeowner, who asked not to be named, said she was so worried about accruing debt, she asked to make full monthly payments during the trial period. The bank said she could only make the reduced trial payment. Since October, she's accrued $425 in debt per month.

Many homeowners report that their credit scores have taken a hit, too. Servicers can use a temporary negative code (PDF) to report homeowners to credit bureaus during the three-month trial. If the trial extends beyond three months, however, servicers are required to switch to a neutral code (PDF) created last November specifically for government modifications. If servicers incorrectly continue to report homeowners in prolonged trials under the negative code, their credit scores could remain depressed by 50 points or more, said Ethan Dornhelm, an expert at FICO, which developed one of the credit-scoring systems.

Several homeowners have told ProPublica that even after being approved for permanent mortgage modifications, they haven't received their final paperwork.

Michigan homeowner Chiquita Carter received a letter from Bank of America in March saying she was approved for a permanent modification after a seven-month trial. But now, five months later, she still has not received the final paperwork and continues to make monthly trial payments. Meanwhile, she says, Bank of America sent her a notice that it planned to sell her home in a foreclosure sale.

After being contacted by ProPublica, the bank reviewed Carter's case and determined that someone at the bank had flagged her file with an internal computer code, erroneously halting Carter's modification process. Simon, the bank's spokesman, said the foreclosure sale will be canceled and Carter should soon be able to finalize her modification.

ProPublica's Paul Kiel and Olga Pierce contributed to this story.

Have you been in a trial modification for more than three months? Please use the comments section below to discuss with other homeowners.

124 comments

I am still under the trial period with Wells Fargo. I was instructed to return to my contractual payments after 6 months of forbearance, even though I have provided information that shows I would be in a deficit if that were to be required.

Last night I recieve a letter from a 3rd party acting on Wells Fargo behalf. When I called WF about why they hired someone to prove the property was occupied, they said it was due to missing paperwork. I just sent a new packet to them on Aug 26th while on the phone with the rep. I even called to confirm they recieved it the following day, and again after 48 hours to be sure it was scanned into their system. The latest news is that the information I sent was for the purpose of Home Retention and Loss Mitigation required it’s own copy. This is to be provided by me.

I can’t fathom that a company that large doesn’t have the ability to make a copy from one department to another upon request. I also have no doubt that the 3rd party Occupancy Confirmation will be billed to my loan.

Same old, Same Old. I have been in a trail modification since June 2009. I was told by my Saxon Mortgage that I was approved for a perm. modification on 12/29/2009 and that I would have ALL THE FINAL PAPERWORK, in 30 days. After 4 months of BS, lies and stories on APRIL 16TH, Saxon ‘sold’ the servicing to Ocwen WITH THE PROMISE THAT OCWEN WOULD COMPLETE THE ALREADY APPROVED modification. 4 months later Ocwen is stil stalling and has handled this as if it is a new application for modification. Since Saxon did not account for all of my payments , I filed a complaint with the Fed.
Saxon responded with a bunch of lies ( stating my income was calculated at 1600 per month more than I make and it was stated when I had paystubs the entire time that showed my income. lying that I had repeatedly stalled on providing additional documents when they kept asking for new things they already had, stating I had not provided al the requested documents when they had asked for a copy of my divorce and alimony payment—we have been married almost 20 year so WTF). The fed took Saxon word as fact and told me that Saxon had operated totally legit. Then they told me they really have no power to govern or penalize Saxon for ANYTHING they might do.

These guys took 1billion in TARP funds and have basically stolen it.

I think at this point, it is time for the victims of this fraud to band together and start a new homeowners revolution.
The only thin that will make a different to these banks is either a lot of bad press ( note how everyone that ProPublica contacts seems to get worked out) or some sever financial damage form REAL losses and fines.

I encourage everyone to pull your money out of any large bank and join a local credit union or a small local bank who will keep you money local.
Or how about a one month no payments protest. If only 50% of borrowers did not make their payments for an entire month or two, the impact to the cash situation of these large banks would be HUGE.

Our government has been an accomplice in this scam by assisting all these large banks ( foreign and domestic) in taking property from hard working tax payers.

Chase 24 months and forebearance paid 7000.00 and payment after that. Now 9000.00 in arrears and I have stopped making payments. You want it so bad you can have it and good luck selling it. I only owed 40000.00 and was only 2 months behind when this started. Had we paid the money to the payments all would be well now. But we tried for the mod and am going to lose our home because of it. Bankruptcy cant hurt our credit any more than Chase saying we havent made a payment in 24 months. So foreclose - we will file bankruptcy. We give You win.

After receiving letter from BOA in first month of April confirming they had received all necessary paperwork…being told for last 2 months every week that my loan mod was in “escalation”...just yesterday informed that my file was “cancelled” ?!?!. I am now being told I will have to resubmit all paperwork…all of this after being led along for last 6 months with ” still under review” to “under escalation”...now explanation of “cancelled”...all of this without any notification from BOA. I am beginning to truly believe some of the horror stories I have read in this forum….I am assuming mine is only beginning!

The Bank of Wells Fargo approved my modification,and lowered my payments from 3400 to 1100 for four years.It’s Wells Fargo Home Mortgage who’s the problem.They are just loan brokers who service these mortgages and hire a bunch of kids to just spin our wheels,My attorney calls them pretender lenders.I can’t even get short sales approved on the three houses I have in foreclosure.The HAMP program is Obama’s biggest failure,in a long list of disappointments

I also wonder after reading the article how can banks dictate how much of your debt you are able to pay…I am sure they would have no problem if you were able to pay note in full…but to dictate what you can pay…then ruin your credit seems very unfair!

Hint: I am or now I say was a real estate investor. I had no hand in the decline of the economic conditions that has made it impossible for me to earn the living I have been accustomed to for over a decade.

Hint: A lot of us did buy a house we could afford. We were making our mortgage payments.

Hint: If the banks (the entities who received our taxpayer dollars) modified loans, we would be making our payments and the housing crisis would stabilize.

Lori, as a real estate investor you’re exactly the type of person who caused the economic crisis. You foolishly bought overvalued property (undoubtedly highly leveraged) under the stupid false sense that it could never decline in value. You are part of the problem - you and your type caused the housing bubble, and now you complain because you can no longer afford to pay your mortgages.

Sorry, I have no sympathy. The day Americans learn to live within their means is the day this type of crisis will no longer exist.

HINT TO CHRIS: I put 20% down on my property…30 year fixed…I had no problem with payment…even paid several hundred $ every month on top towards principle. Worked hard all my life to finally be able to afford…years of sometimes -20 degree weather in winter to scorching 100+ in summer. Carpenter all my life…didn’t sit behind a desk figuring out new ways to put people in bad situations just to line my pockets…i.e. mortgage bond CDO’s. I am not looking for a handout…I am embarrassed enough that I was a burden on society as a child…ward of state from 7 yrs. till 18 yrs. of age. I have always payed my taxes…given to charities…and volunteered to worthy causes. AND YOU???

Fortunately, I have a very stable job and income. I’m a school teacher, a divorced mother of 2 wonderful boys, have a second job as a fitness instructor/personal trainer, and am in the process of getting my administrator’s license.

Not to toot my own horn, but I work my tail off just like everyone else I’ve met in this situation. I came from a stable home and make sure I provide the same for my children. That includes doing whatever possible to keep our home.

Chris - Hint: “you and your type” - your arrogance is only exceeded by your ignorance. Read about Bear Stearns, Lehman Bros, Countrywide and others on Wall St to find the real source of the problem. Get your head out of your rear.

Chris-I bought houses with 25% down and the equity grew,this was six years ago.I retired on real estate investments that used to pay 30k per month.Now nothing.The rents have dropped 40%,the values 60%.We still have cash,so we’ll survive,but the economy is not going to return until the R E market comes back and that won’t happen until lenders are lending and qualification is not so difficult.I was put into these loans as an “easy qualifier"Now it’s full doc and then some.It’s the double standard of the Banks,and the lack of follow through and supervision of the Administration that gets me

Note to Chris… Most of us bought houses we could afford until we lost jobs and could not find work at the same pay grade as before our loss of a job. I lived in my house for 14 years….. If I couldn’t afford it then I would not have lived there that long. But once you lose income and go through massive amounts of savings, the market tanks and you cannot sell to cover the debt then you end up here. Don’t be so assuming. If was as simple as your post there would not be so many people in this position and believe me no one wants to be here.

Chris: Consider that you’ve lived in your home for 20 years, were not late on your mortgage until you called the bank for help—because you had become disabled. Or is that slacking, too? I’d never been late or missed a scheduled mortgage payment, didn’t know what HAMP was until my lender sent me the paperwork, didn’t know what I was getting into. After more than a year and a half working with my servicer, it turns out that it’s more advantageous for them to rep and sell my house because I have built up equity (other readers, this is called a NPV test). Now, after all that time, I AM delinquent on my mortgage…though I have never missed a payment.

Chris - Most of us bought houses we could afford until we lost our jobs, can’t find a new one because no one is hiring now, the economy went south, and, oh yeah, bailed out the very same banks who are now forcing us into foreclosure. Many of the mortgage servicers doing this damage aren’t the owners of our loans any more. They have been chopped up and sold to other “investors.” Since these banks and mtg. servicers are treating us all in the same way, I would suggest they are all in “cahoots” to pretend they are helping, but actually are not helping but hurting us by hurling us into more debt. Wall Street and banks made this mess with the help of a pathetic Republican President Bush. PHH Mortgage is my servicer. My foreclosure started because PHH did not correctly identify and charge the correct amount for my property taxes. Then after 6 months raised my payment by $600/mo. to make up for THEIR mistake. At that same time I was laid off from my job. Everyone here (including you) knows what’s been happening since then. If you don’t know anything, keep your mouth shut. You must be a HAMP underwriter trying to justify lining your pockets from the hardship of others. HINT: get a life and stop ruining the rest of ours.

Chris - hint. banks are foreclosing on people on any pretext so they can buy the home for pennies on the dollar and then resell. one in my development earned a bank $134k in one quarter, no renovations needed. they bought from themselves for $100 at auction, held it briefly (mowed lawn) and then sold for $135k.
hint - we hard-working homeowners can’t beat fraud. that is what is afoot now.

Hint to CHRIS - Hello everyone lets please forgive this fellow CHRIS. He has had so much koolaid he can’t think straight. Or maybe .....hint…....he got some bailout bucks. Maybe he works for the govt. I bet he does. Hint - just the way he comments in such an arrogant way makes me sure he is a govt employee.

Starry - one thing you missed in your calculation: how much the bank lost because you failed to meet your obligation to repay your loan.

To people accusing me of working for the banks/government - in case you couldn’t tell from my first post, I’m not an American. I live in a country where people are generally sensible, live within their means, and haven’t suffered from a huge financial/housing collapse precipitated by foolish overvaluation and overextension.

How nice of you to come online here and take a snooty attitude when you are not even living through the hell most of us are.

What country are you in where you have remained untouched by the downturn. I live in California where 1 in 4 houses are behind in their payments and 1 in 3 houses are now underwater.
I am the parent of a special needs child. I have lived in my house for 16 years so clearly I have been able to ‘afford’ it. When I needed to pull some cash to build a therapy room for my child, I was fraudulently put into a loan that was an ARM. The broker would have had me take out 100% of the value in cash back but I DID NOT do that as it would have been wasteful and extravagant. When I refi’d and pulled out funds I only did what I could afford but still leaving me with 135K in equity. At the time, since I am self-employed, I had to take a sub-prime loan as the brokers were using ANY EXCUSE to push people into these sub-prime packages as they stood to make MUCH more profit from them. When the scam package the broker put me into adjusted 2 years later so my payment increased 30%, some medical hardships and the economic downturn had dropped my business by 40%. I could not afford the new payment. I would have liked to refinance but at that point, with values dropping 35% in my area, there was no way.
What is really the travesty is that people like you make the uninformed statements you make just trying to make yourself seem superior. If the Fed had stood by and let the banks fail and deal with their own losses and behavior, I would at least understand that my situation is what it is. Where the injustice lies, is that the banks were given billions specifically to help homeowners and have done nothing while continuing not only to pay huge bonuses but they are also continue in the same unsound behavior as before, with their singular focus being to make money at the expense of the American people.
Your holier than thou attitude is pretty disgusting. My guess is you blame the victims of rape and drunk drivers as well. What a boorish, self serving attitude.
MY guess is you are profiting from investing in CDO’s and just want to attack us on this board to justify that you are making money off the pain of others.

It is so easy for others to get online and blame everything on the homeowners. We purchased our homes when the market was good. It is no fault of our own that our homes have depreciated by half or more in value. When we did purchase our homes, the interest rates were high (7..25% and up). It is not our fault that we become ill, lose work due to the economy, or some other misfortune. And for those of you who do not live in our country, mind your own damn business or go back to where you came from.
I too am in California. Every other house seems to be vacant due to foreclosure. I also have been denied a modification after the many months of the trial period where in my case my payments were $1,300 more than my negative amortization payment. All payments were made on time or early. My perfect credit got hit by more than 50 points.

Two of my co-workers have been denied a permanent mod after being in the trial payment plan for approximately one year. Bank of America and Wells Fargo.

So those of you who are sitting pretty and seem to have all of the answers, must not be homeowners, have a lot of money, or are on welfare. Afraid if the government helps us homeowners it will take away from your welfare check?

So, Chris, you’re neither a citizen nor live in the U.S.? Wow, you sure do have one hell of a nerve bashing the United States, especially when it’s THIS nation that seems to come to the rescue of many others. I’d be willing to bet you’d expect to reap the benefits our country offers should you ever choose to immigrate here though, huh?

Good for you if YOUR country (you failed to mention which one you reside in - interesting) has escaped the economic crisis many other countries are experiencing. I wonder if YOUR country is one that’s received assistance from the Unite States?

I’ll tell you the SAME thing I tell my 4th graders: THINK before you speak because your words are ALWAYS safer in your head because once they’re out of your mouth, you can’t take them back. Also, make sure you have ALL of the facts BEFORE forming your opinions. It takes an intelligent person to evaluate the WHOLE situation. Knowledge is power - use it wisely.

Just a few HINTS for success. Translatable into ALL languages and accepted in ALL countries - kind of like the American Express Card for Etiquette. :)

Chris does not has the faintest idea what he is talking about. The mortgage crisis was orchestrated by the
banks and was aided and abetted by the politicians in
Congress that had been bought by the banks.
Loans modifications are nothing but a joke. Please do
not fall for it.
If you receive a Lis-Pendens go to a competent Attorney that can defend your case. That is the only possibility to reach a settlement with theses scammers.
By the way I have just returned from a month long tour of Europe and with the exception of Germany
most other European countries are broke.

Maureen - which countries are receiving assistance from the USA exactly? I’m from New Zealand and certainly we have never asked for and never received financial assistance from the USA. To the contrary, the financial fuckery the the USA has been responsible for a lot of hardship in many other countries throughout the world as your ridiculous obsession with debt has lead to this crisis which has caused a crunch in liquidity. USA is responsible for wholesale hardship worldwide - so get off your high horse and start realising your country is just a shadow of what it once was.

Also I never said that we “escaped the economic crisis”. Certainly we have been through recession, but because NZ isn’t a financial shit-hole like the USA, very few people have lost their homes. A big part of that is that New Zealanders are generally conservative borrowers who live within our means.

Anthony Garcia - I can’t help but notice how quick Americans are to blame their elected officials. If Americans really wanted change in their political landscape they would take action. It’s a democracy after all, and yet you keep voting in the same old hats and their same old cronies year after year after year.

Americans are lazy, uninformed and apathetic and that has lead to the absoute joke of so-called-democracy you so fervently defend over there.

Great and very sad article. thank you. I wish you would please reprint it in Spanish for the Latino Community. That would be great. This whole situation is a travesty of our so-called “democratic” (not!) system. Money for wars and bank bailouts, but no money for homes, healthcare, schools, jobs, or anything that is good and healing for our People. Shameful.

I wonder how much they paying you to put up these comments. Believe me whatever it is, if it is 25cent/hour or $20/hour it is not worth to piss off homeowners by your ignorent comment .
And if you work for one, maybe you can relate all these messeges how homeowners being treated buy the banksters, who literally stole money from taxpayers then left the homeowners out to dry.

When our “3 month: trial mod got into the 6th month, I told Chase no more payments until we got it down in writing. They said I had a poor attitude but would see if they could get it resolved. Two weeks later they told me the trial mod was canceled and that I was $8,800 behind “and would you send that overnight by Western Union?” Also, they were returning the payment to the original amount.

That’s when it became obvious to me that Chase was using the trial mod program to simply squeeze more money out of home owners. A foreclosure would look bad on the bank’s balance sheet.

LOL!!!! I should’ve guessed you were from New Zealand!!!! Talk about being on a high-horse - have you read YOUR own words, my friend?? I have an ex-sister-in-law who lives in New Zealand and she has the SAME, snotty, holier than though attitude as YOU do. She also has a VERY inflated opinion of herself and, to be quite honest, NO ONE can stand listenng to her either,

I’ll also add the reason WHY you New Zealanders are able to be debt-free is because, like her, you “visit” the United States to “shop when on holiday” because EVERYTHING there is too expensve as good must be imported by YOUR wonderful country.

Americans are lazy, you say? Only some, but the majority are far from it. Like you, my ex-sister-in-law feels quite entitled to the benefits the U.S has to offer. Therefore, she’s continuously asking for her family to “send goods and supplies so the cost is lower.” She also claims, even though she grew up HERE, that Americans are “lazy” yet expects to be waited upon hand and foot when “on holiday” during her hoarding sprees.

Good luck to you, my Australian - oops, sorry - meant New Zealand - mate!!!! Keep enjoying those goods & services that CANNOT and ARE NOT produced in YOUR OWN homeland.

Also, thank you for the entertaining rubbish you continue to write in your comments as it’s continued evidence YOU have qute the narrow view of both the economic and political picture.

I just want to say that this whole thing stinks! I don`t really care what anyone thinks about why we are in the situation we are in. I have been waiting for an answer for almost 3 yrs. WF And NOW I am starting to get a little tick-off !

Some of your word choices are QUITE offensive. Educated people, at least those I know in the USA, DO NOT speak with such foul mouths and understand the importance of RESPECT & ETIQUETTE. Therefore, watch your mouth.

Using such foul language as you have in statements that include sophisticated words (ie: fervently) is tacky at best. You may choose to consult a thesaurus for a few synonyms to replace your “potty mouth words” - that’s elementary school lingo for “swears.”

You do know what a synonym is, right? Just thought I’d make sure. Guess that shows I’m on my high-horse, huh??? Sorry - my AMERCAN education was “quite good.”

I could go on and on but fail to see the point as people like you will always be miserable and place yourselves so high on the pedestal a nose-bleed is innevitable. We are fighting to keep our rights, our homes and our families secure. WHEN that happens in New Zealand, let us know so we can give you the proper advice. :)

Starry. I heard the same story in many states. Chase has bought homes for $ 100.00 then resold them for hundreds of thousands of dollars. When the news asked them they declined to comment. This is one of the main issue should be brought up to cnn. But every time I write the website here where to write, it does not show my messege.

I should have known Chris was from down under—just didn’t pick up on that down-under arrogance.

Seems a few decades ago we had to send a guy named Doug MacArthur and several hundred thousand American GIs there to keep the New Zelanders from all speaking Japanese. And for the ungrateful like Chris, we left quite a bunch of our young men there there in in fields of white crosses.

Oh, for the gift of clairvoyance. If Chris’ kind of attitude prevails today, methinks we should have just let the Japs have ‘em.

In any event, thanks for identifying one of uninformed and parasitic foreign critics.

I don’t know how many of you here are from CA. but our legislature failed California Homeowners again to slow down foreclosures. SB 1275 has failed. In a nutshell:

Before banks decide to foreclose on homes the banks would of had to offer a loan modification to all California homeowners. In the event the banks WRONGFULLY foreclose,( and it happens a lot)
they could of helld liable under this law.

However we have the best politicians bankers can buy so the Mortgage Bankers Association has probably greased many of these legislators. Now Banks Don’t need to offer a loan modification to California homeowner just kick them out.

Maureen—no, I’m jim. And the ppl are fat. What is mean about that. I spend almost $1.75 per day on food cause I got bills what need to be paid. Whoever this family is needs to really get a grip on what is important and not try to get a free ride off me and my tax dollars while they eat like pigs.

Plus, I qualified and bought my little house in ‘88 on a $10.50/hr job. These folks what want bailing out have way better/bigger houses than I could ever afford. Fuck ‘em. Hope they end up under a bridge somewhere

Jim: Than what are you doing on this website with your dirty language???
You must have a missarible life spending time here and wishing people bad fortune and using this language.

Maybe your mamma has to wash your mouth with soap.
Have you looked into the mirror lately and asked yourself how many people I have wished harm today or this year or my lifetime?
. BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH TO OTHERS!!!!!!!.
It might come back to you as bad Karma

Good for you. What makes you think our homes are bigger/better, though? That sounds pretty bitter. Why not be thankful for the home you do have? My home is modest - nothing spectacular. It’s important to me because it’s my family’s home and that’s why I’m fighting to keep it. When I bought it I hadn’t planned on paying for it by myself. Unfortunately, my ex-fiance was unable to hold a job after the fact, therefore leaving me footing all the bills including a mortgage that was based upon 2 incomes, SO, we bought well within our means.

Things happened that I couldn’t control (like his lies, losing jobs every 6 months because he WAS truly lazy) . Because my children are very stable and secure in our home, I chose to go for a modification in order to keep them here. I don’t regret my decision and will continue to fight for our home. The payment was 60% of my sole income, so a modification was the only option - I couldn’t refinance because by then, the market had begun to crash.

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